Silent Approach
by honu59
Summary: Hot on the trail of a notorious and dangerous criminal, Steve and Danny travel to snowy upstate New York where they team up with local authorities and battle the elements in this different kind of "cold case".
1. Chapter 1

_**A.N. **__– Hawaii Five-O belongs to CBS. No copyright infringement is intended. _

_This story was inspired by the winter storm that we had over the Christmas holidays. Thanks to "Tanith2011" for beta reading this._

_The cover image was photographed and is copyrighted by Bev Wigney. It is used here with her gracious permission. Thank you, Bev! For a link to Bev's website, please send me a PM._

**Silent Approach**

**Chapter 1**

"I really don't think I'm going to need these, Steve." Dan Williams continued to stare at the unfamiliar contraptions propped up against the bench next to him. To the curly haired island born detective, they resembled small scale rawhide-woven surfboards, one for each foot.

"Trust me, Danno, once we get into the back country, there's no other way to get around without being heard," Steve replied, strapping on his own pair of borrowed snowshoes. "Jimmy's like a trapped animal right now. We'll need the element of surprise. No motorized vehicles of any kind." Dan nodded to his boss, grabbed the first large wood framed snowshoe and eased his right foot into the bindings.

The two Five-O detectives had just arrived from Hawaii and were already gearing up to join New York state police officers in their efforts to hunt down Jimmy Snails, who was holed up in a small cabin close to the Canadian border. The notorious mobster had been on the nation-wide wanted list for years, but something had happened to him during a recent stay in Honolulu. He had snapped, for lack of a better description, and had turned vicious and deadly, taking pleasure in torturing his hapless victims, one of whom was a senator's wife.

Once Steve McGarrett had sunk his teeth into this particular case, he just wouldn't let go. He was determined to bring Jimmy back to the islands to face a multitude of charges. Danny knew that there was no point in arguing when his boss was like this. Chin and Kono were holding down the fort at home with the help of Ben Kokua and Duke Lukela, both on loan from HPD, freeing the two top cops to make the trek to upstate New York, in the dead of a cold and snowy winter, in pursuit of justice.

"Those are Green Mountain style shoes, detective," explained Ed Maguire, the large fiftyish New York cop with graying hair who was in charge of the small police station. "They're narrower; easier for beginners to handle." That comment earned the older man an annoyed scowl from Dan. "Jenny, help him out with those bindings."

The thirty-something policewoman knelt in front of Williams and cinched up the leather straps and buckled them into place. "All set, Detective Williams," she said, smiling up at the handsome cop with the clear blue eyes. Jenny had a pretty face with warm grey eyes and a raft of short brown curls. As to her figure, well, Danny couldn't tell. The woman had on so many clothes! A turtleneck and bulky wool sweater; on top of that, her police windbreaker. On her feet she wore what Dan had learned were called mukluks, which extended all the way up to her knees. "Thanks; and please call me Danny," he replied with a wink, always the flirt with any female.

o-o-o

For the south Pacific island cops, the sun set way too early in the northern latitude and the encroaching darkness was accompanied by an icy wind from across the border. Danny had never felt so cold in his life. The arctic chill cut through all the layers of clothing he wore and he could feel the moisture freezing inside his nose with every breath he took. Though Steve could remember such bitterly cold days from his childhood, he didn't care to relive the sensation. The sooner this operation was over, the better.

The only sound in the remote wooded area was the muffled swish and crunch of five pairs of snowshoes breaking a trail through the fresh powder. Maguire was in the lead followed by Tony Fabrizio, then the two Hawaii cops then Lars Erikson bringing up the rear in case McGarrett or Williams had any trouble. Tony was close to Danny's age, tough and confident. Lars was forty-five, tall, blonde, quiet, and very smart. The men shoed single file like the native people did centuries earlier in order to hide their numbers when stalking prey. But these modern men were stalking a far more dangerous type of prey: Jimmy Snails was criminally insane therefore unpredictable.

Once Dan's natural athleticism kicked in, he was fine maneuvering on the snowshoes. He didn't even notice his sniper's rifle that was slung over his shoulder, which could have thrown him off balance. Steve was also doing fine, his longer legs providing an advantage in keeping a wider stance. The men made their way in silence, their concentration dedicated to safety and the task that lay ahead of them. After a mile and a half, Ed stopped the group for a rest and a short briefing.

"From here on out, we can't talk," Ed advised. "No unnecessary noise. Any sound will carry too far and we'll be heard. Got that?"

The men murmured their agreement before Maguire nodded to McGarrett to continue. "Steve?"

"We'll surround the cabin," McGarrett instructed. "Ed and Tony, the three of us will take the front. We'll try to draw him out. Lars and Danno, you cover the back." Then Steve's tone became deadly serious. "Jimmy is completely unpredictable, gentlemen. The plan is to take him alive but in reality, that may not be an option, so don't take any unnecessary chances. Understood?" It was difficult to make eye contact with the officers in the filtered moonlight, but McGarrett knew that they were all on the same page.

Ed pulled out his walkie-talkie. "Maguire to O'Neal, come in."

"O'Neal here. How's it going, Ed?"

"Fine so far. Jenny, I won't be in contact again until this is played out. Then I'll be calling for a pick-up. Depending on what happens, you may need to call Doc."

"Call Doc at this hour? So that's why you left me behind, you expect me to handle the toughest job," Jenny quipped.

"You got me. Say a prayer, Jenny."

"Okay. Good luck, Ed. O'Neal out." Ed put the walkie-talkie back in his pack and prepared to move out.

McGarrett turned around to face his second-in-command. "Howzit, Danno?" Steve asked, knowing this might be his last chance to speak to his detective for a while.

"Fine, Steve. You?" Dan replied, looking into his mentor's eyes and feeling Steve's hand resting on his shoulder, even through his thick clothing.

"More than ready to do this," Steve answered.

"Okay, break over. Let's go!" Ed called out, and the men continued the trek to Jimmy's cabin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The five cops approached the small years-neglected cabin and positioned themselves so that the structure was completely surrounded. Each officer stood close enough to a sturdy tree in case it was needed as a shield from gunfire.

"Jimmy, this is the police!" Ed yelled, as loudly as he could. "You're surrounded. Come out with your arms raised!"

Maguire's announcement was followed by complete silence which dragged on for longer than was comfortable. "Maybe we were wrong, maybe he's not in there," suggested Steve.

"Oh, he's in there alright," Tony spoke up. "He's playing chicken; he wants us to make the first move so he can shoot."

"Easy Tony," Maguire warned. He was familiar with the young officer's impetuous nature, and sometimes worried that Fabrizio might not live to see thirty-five. McGarrett smirked in the darkness. The exchange between the seasoned New York cop and his young officer sounded awfully familiar. And if Tony was anything like Danno, his assessment of the situation might just be correct.

Steve watched as Fabrizio bent down and cupped his gloved hands to gather a mound of snow. Then Tony straightened up and formed the cold wet fluff into a hard snowball. Steve made eye contact with the young man and having figured out his intentions, he nodded saying "Okay, but be careful."

As fast as he could, Tony stepped away from the protection of the tree and hurled the snowball toward the cabin, aiming it so that its path would be plainly visible from the front window. In an instant, rapid gun fire erupted from the structure, spraying the area with bullets. Just as quickly, McGarrett lunged at Tony to push him out of harm's way.

"Tony!" Ed's fearful shout could be heard above the din of gunfire. He fired back, but had no clear target. A single cry of pain escaped from McGarrett's throat when one of Jimmy's bullets found its mark in the big man's left shoulder, tearing away flesh and muscle before continuing on its trajectory, finally lost somewhere in the snow. The impact threw Steve off balance, but Tony grabbed onto the older cop before he could fall and eased him down to the ground with his back braced against the tree.

"Steve?" Maguire and Fabrizio both called out. "How bad?"

"It's…okay…" Steve managed to get out between spasms of searing pain, breathing heavily in his attempts to control his body's reaction, each exhaled breath producing a cloud of vapor from his lips. His blood was already spreading down the front of his heavy jacket, the crimson streams thickening and eventually freezing to the cloth.

o-o-o

Behind the cabin, Danny and Lars waited patiently behind two trees. Danny had his rifle's scope zeroed in on the back of Jimmy's head, which was made visible through the cabin's back window by the moonlight. Both men flinched when the night air was suddenly torn by deafening gunfire and Jimmy disappeared from Danny's crosshairs. Then Dan heard the unmistakable torturous cry of one hit by a bullet; in his heart he knew it was Steve!

Erikson fired his revolver to draw Jimmy's attention away from the front. "Drop your weapon, Jimmy and come out with your hands up!" he shouted toward the back side of the cabin. This only earned another volley of bullets, this time in the direction of Lars and Dan. Fueled by fear and adrenalin, Williams quickly readjusted the rifle's aim and fired. As top sharp shooter on the islands, Danny rarely missed and Jimmy went down with the single shot.

Lars' heart was pounding as he witnessed the young detective's expert marksmanship and saw the mad man's head snap to the side then drop downward. He approached the back door cautiously and when he was sure that Jimmy was indeed dead, the tall blond cop relaxed, gave a shout of 'All clear!' and turned back, seeking out Dan to offer his thanks for putting an end to the deadly situation. Erikson retraced his steps and scanned the woods in all directions. No luck. Danny had vanished!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Steve did his darned best to stifle his groans, but his shoulder felt like it was on fire. His eyes squeezed shut and his head bent low as he battled the onslaught of nausea.

"Steve, you're not okay," Maguire corrected the man gently. Ed gingerly pressed some wadded up material from his pack to McGarrett's shoulder in an attempt to stop the urgent flow of blood. He nodded to Tony, who then replaced Ed's hand with his own and maintained pressure on the wound while Ed fished out his walkie-talkie.

"Maguire to O'Neal, come in."

"O'Neal here, go ahead," Jenny's voice broke through the static filled connection.

"Jenny, bring the truck. Jimmy's dead. Steve was hit. Call Doc. Get him down to the station and tell him to bring his bag!" Ed tersely ordered.

"Will do, Ed. How bad is Steve?" Jenny asked.

"He took one high in the shoulder, and he's bleeding a lot. Get a move on! Maguire out."

Ed stashed the walkie-talkie and turned his attention back to McGarrett. "Help is on the way, Steve," he said squeezing the man's good arm. "I know it's kind of strange, but a long time ago I convinced our ME to treat some of our…uh…job related injuries. In these parts, the nearest hospital is more than an hour away, so it became a necessity," the older cop explained. "Don't worry; Doc will take good care of you."

Well, to Steve it didn't seem strange at all since he had done the same thing with Bergman. But this also reminded him that he was missing his second-in-command. He remembered hearing shots from the rear of the cabin and his eyes suddenly widened with fear. "Danno…where's Danno?" Steve asked through his labored breathing, trying to lift his head to scan the area.

o-o-o

After he had fired, the recoil from his rifle had propelled Danny backward. To him, this was completely normal and expected, except that with the unfamiliar snowshoes strapped to his feet, the momentum caused the detective to lose his balance, throwing him backward into a deep snowdrift. He tried to right himself by pushing against the ground, only there was no solid ground; just snow that would not support his weight. After a few minutes of frustration, Dan picked up the butt end of his rifle and stretched it out as far as he could. By pushing the muzzle end against a nearby tree, he was able to raise himself to sitting position. The problem was that Dan's body heat was melting the snow all around him, and the moisture was soaking through his clothing which in turn sapped more precious heat away from his skin, chilling him to the bone.

"Danny!" Lars called out in his deep baritone voice, at a loss as to what could have happened. He was answered by a muffled reply that sounded like 'Lars'. In his mind's eye, Erikson retraced the trajectory of Danny's shot back to where he had last seen the Five-O detective. Slowly he walked into a dark clump of trees, the beam from his flashlight methodically sweeping the ground.

"Lars!" The muffled voice grew louder and clearer.

Erikson's light stopped on Williams' snow covered form. He swiftly pocketed his flashlight, grabbed Dan's arms and pulled him to his feet. "You okay, Danny?" he asked, brushing snow off the detective's jacket, surprised by how wet his clothing felt.

"Yeah, thanks," Danny responded, trying to control his involuntary shivering. "Steve…Steve was hit?" was his next question.

"Don't know. Come on, let's go!"

Dan had shouldered his rifle and was already on the move with Lars following closely behind. Even in the dim light, Lars couldn't help but notice the younger man's diminished coordination and slower pace, leaving the tall officer concerned about Dan's core body temperature.

o-o-o

With the welcoming sound of the approaching police truck, the men knew that Jenny had arrived. She was behind the wheel of a large covered pick-up with a snow plow on the front. Chains wrapped around each tire bit into the icy road, their own noise joining the roar of the engine. Maguire waved, directing O'Neal to pull up and park close to the cabin. Jenny hopped out of the driver's seat to find McGarrett's hunched form propped up against a tree, blood covering the left side of his jacket. Tony was on his left, maintaining pressure on the man's wounded shoulder and Danny on the right, tightly gripping McGarrett's good arm and talking quietly to him. Erikson stood close by, keeping an eye on Danny.

"Doc's on his way," Jenny reported to Ed.

"Good, good," Maguire responded with a grateful smile and a brief squeeze to the woman's shoulder before he began issuing orders.

"Jimmy's in the cabin. Grab a body bag. Lars can help you load him up. Tony, Danny and I will get Steve into the truck." Jenny acknowledged the command with a nod and went back to the truck.

While O'Neal and Erikson headed to the cabin, they both noticed Williams stagger and almost go down as he followed closely behind McGarrett and the men supporting him.

"What's wrong with Danny?" Jenny asked, nodding toward the sagging officer.

"Hypothermia is my guess," replied Lars. "He fell in the snow; his clothes feel like they're soaked through. Doc should have a look at him, too."

o-o-o

What was left of Jimmy Snails wasn't pretty. Dan's bullet had nearly taken out a good portion of the mobster's head. Jenny pulled a camera from its bag and quickly snapped a couple of different views before she and Lars hauled the corpse into the body bag and zipped it closed. Jenny tossed the camera bag onto her shoulder then they lifted the dead weight. With Lars taking the torso and Jenny taking the legs, they carried it out to the truck as fast as they were able to move. McGarrett needed help. They could finish processing the crime scene in the morning.

Steve had already been loaded into the truck's cab and Danny was seated next to him. Though he was still in a lot of pain, Steve had relaxed a small degree, knowing that the crisis was over and his protégé was safe and once more at his side. Gradually he became aware of the activity outside the cab and watched Erikson and O'Neal hurrying toward the truck carrying the body. He wondered about sending a woman, even an officer, to perform such a grisly duty.

Ed and Tony, squatting in the back of the truck, pulled the body bag into the cargo area after Jenny and Lars had heaved it up to the tailgate. Lars climbed into the back and settled in with his two colleagues. Jenny got into the driver's seat, gunned the engine and headed back to the station.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Dr. Ira Bernstein was pushing sixty, had thick grey hair, a bushy mustache and looked as though he had slept in his clothes. The county coroner had already cut away the majority of the left side of McGarrett's bloody shirt, exposing the ugly oozing bullet wound. He had cleaned and numbed the area and was proceeding to stitch the gaping hole closed as best as he could. Sitting close by on the worn couch in the lounge area of the small police station was Williams, still shivering beneath the thick wool blanket wrapped around his shoulders. Jenny O'Neal hovered close to Dan, making sure that the mug he cupped in his hands was never emptied of hot coffee. Her special attention didn't go unnoticed by her fellow officers.

"Looks like Jenny wants to take her next vacation in Hawaii," Tony whispered to Lars as he elbowed the taller man in the ribs.

"Maybe we'll need to start recruiting for a replacement," joked Erikson.

The teasing stopped when Steve suddenly gasped as the doctor tugged too hard on a particularly sore spot. "Hold still," Bernstein scolded in a gravelly voice. "You're damned lucky I didn't have to dig the slug out of you, too." Once the sharp pain had eased, Steve shot an amused look at Danny, who returned the grin.

"Private joke?" Jenny asked her curly haired charge when she picked up on the unspoken communication between the cops from Hawaii.

"No, just déjà vu," Danny replied, taking another sip of the wonderfully warming coffee. "I'll explain later," he added, smiling up at the woman who was so focused on his care.

"Well, it isn't as bad as it could have been," Bernstein continued as he finished the last of the stitches. "But I'll bet it hurts like hell."

"That's an understatement, Doc," Steve remarked with his jaw clenched.

"Hey Doc, you should have a look at Danny, too," Lars spoke up, after sipping from his own mug.

"Oh? What happened to you?" the coroner asked, turning toward Williams after he had secured a thick bandage over his handiwork on McGarrett's shoulder. Steve's full attention instantly snapped to his second-in-command, scanning the young man for damage.

Before the embarrassed detective could respond, Erikson answered for him in a matter-of-fact tone. "He took a tumble into a snowdrift, Doc; got all wet." Steve wondered what the big deal was about a few wet clothes, but the doctor quickly pulled a thermometer out of his bag, placed it in Dan's mouth and began looking him over. "I'm fine," Danny insisted, trying to talk around the thermometer, only to be shushed by Bernstein.

"Your lips are as blue as your eyes, young man," mumbled the physician before he checked Dan's fingers. He then removed Dan's boots and socks and examined each of his toes, grunting some form of 'okay'.

"What is it, Doc?" Steve asked impatiently, his concern evident.

Bernstein removed the thermometer, held it up to the light and squinted to get a reading. "No sign of frostbite, but his temperature is lower than I'd like." He looked directly at Danny and patted his arm. "Get out of those wet clothes and into a warm bath, son. That should raise your temperature back to normal and stop that shivering." Dan's cheeks reddened at the word 'son', especially with O'Neal so close to him. Then Bernstein took a step back and regarded both of his patients. "Hawaii, huh? Must have one hell of a case of jet lag, too."

Maguire clapped the coroner on the back. "Thanks, Ira, I owe you one," Ed said sincerely. The ME finished packing his equipment and pulled on his heavy coat and hat. "You owe me several, Ed," he deadpanned before glancing toward his first patient. "Mr. McGarrett, I'll drop by tomorrow to check on those stitches; don't get them wet," he advised. "Better go drop off my new 'customer' at the morgue. Goodnight, gentlemen, Jenny." Then he was out the door and on his way home.

"Okay, let's call it a night, too," Ed declared, looking around the room at the group of weary officers. "Plenty to do, but it can wait until tomorrow." It was late, not much more could be accomplished that night and he had two house guests to get settled, one wounded and one on the verge of hypothermia.

o-o-o

It was almost midnight before Steve and Dan climbed into the twin beds usually occupied by Ed's two sons, now away at college. There was something very comforting about the room with its football trophies, school pennants and posters of sports cars adorning the walls. The small space infused the two visiting cops with an air of the security of home and the optimism of youth, a brief respite from the dangers and responsibilities that came with their profession.

Danny pulled the wool blankets and quilt up to his nose. Steve shifted around trying to find a comfortable position, using an extra pillow to prop up his aching shoulder. The meds were definitely wearing off and every movement seemed to pull at the freshly stitched wound. Finally, he turned onto his right side and looked over at the pile of covers with the barely visible curly head.

"You warm enough, Danno?" Steve asked in a hushed voice.

The only response was a soft snore. His exhausted second, finally warm after a long bath, had fallen into a deep sleep as soon as his head had hit the pillow. Steve watched the still figure for several minutes. The events of the evening were still replaying in his mind, including the sickening fear he had felt when gunfire had erupted from the rear of the cabin. He settled back into his own pillow, grateful that they had both survived the confrontation.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Breakfast was at the police station and consisted of hot coffee and bagels with cream cheese. Fabrizio and Erikson had arrived early and were busy with paper work that involved recounting the events of the previous night. Once Doc Bernstein had finished with the autopsy, the next of kin would be notified if there were any that could be located. According to standard procedure, the body would remain in the small morgue until all forms were signed, sealed and delivered; only then could it be released for final arrangements.

"Jenny, grab your gear; go up to the cabin and finish processing the scene. I want you back here before that storm hits," Maguire directed before he drained his second cup of coffee.

"Got it," the energetic woman replied after she finished half a pumpernickel bagel.

"More snow?" Danny asked uneasily.

"Supposed to get at least six more inches," remarked Lars with little emotion.

The statement sparked concern in McGarrett, especially after the weather they had endured the previous night. "Danno, go with O'Neal," he ordered. "The two of you will get the job done faster."

"Sure," Dan replied, quickly wiping a smear of cream cheese from his face as he rose from his chair.

"Thanks, Steve," Maguire said, genuinely grateful as he watched O'Neal and Williams preparing to leave. "I appreciate the extra help."

Jenny and Dan pulled on their heavy coats, hats and gloves. Then Jenny lifted a large metal tackle box from the equipment locker and headed for the door.

"Give you a hand with that?" offered Danny.

"No thanks, I've got it," Jenny replied, though she did nod her appreciation when Williams held the door open for her.

Working with a woman who was his professional equal was a new experience for the detective. Sure, he had worked with policewomen from HPD several times, but in each case he had been the officer in charge. _This could __prove to be __interesting_, Danny thought.

The two officers walked out into the bright morning sun and stinging frigid air. Dan pulled up the collar of his coat to keep the chill off his neck. "With all this sunshine, I thought it might be warmer," Danny remarked, trying to make small talk.

"At least it hasn't started snowing yet," Jenny countered. "Visibility will be better on the road."

As they walked to the parking area behind the station, Jenny noticed Dan's puzzled expression when he caught sight of the long orange utility cord snaking from beneath the hood of the police truck to the outlet on the building. _He must think he's landed on the North Pole, _she thought, trying to keep her amusement to herself.

"Engine block heater," Jenny explained before Danny could ask. "We'd have a hard time starting up the truck without it this time of year." O'Neal stashed the tackle box in the rear of the truck then popped the hood and unplugged the cord. "Guess you don't need these in Hawaii," she joked, holding up the end of the cord.

"Or tire chains," Danny added with a good natured chuckle. _After all_, he mused, you _can't change the weather, so you might as well laugh at it. _Feeling like he should help, Dan gathered up the cord, wound it neatly around his forearm and set the orange coil down next to the outlet by the station's back door before he sprinted back to the truck. "Thanks, Danny. We'll make a good team," Jenny commented, flashing a quick smile in Dan's direction before she climbed into the driver's seat. Danny grinned in return, suddenly aware of a warm sensation rising up his neck beneath his flannel shirt.

o-o-o

Fifteen minutes after the police truck pulled away from the station, the telephone rang, drawing the attention of the four men finishing their breakfast.

Ed snatched up the receiver and answered. "Champlain Police, Maguire speaking."

"Early start," Tony remarked to Steve, nodding toward the phone.

"Maybe it's Dr. Bernstein," suggested McGarrett, looking forward to getting the autopsy results.

"Can't be, too early; Doc likes to sleep in, especially after being called out at night," Lars explained.

Ed finished the call, hung up the phone and turned to his two remaining officers. "Armed robbery up at Stewart's. Go check it out. Get their statements; we'll send Jenny out later for prints," Maguire ordered. Then his tone softened. "And be careful."

The two younger men were out the door and bound for Stewart's convenience store, leaving Maguire and McGarrett by themselves. Even though he was anxious to put his own case to bed and return to Hawaii, the prolonged stay gave the head of Five-O the chance to observe another busy police department in action, a rare opportunity that he appreciated.

"Pretty good team you have here," Steve said.

"Thanks, Steve, I'm really proud of them," Ed replied while he cleaned up the remnants of the bagels. "Lars served in the Coast Guard and he's an explosives expert. Came here after his wife left him; needed a change of scenery. Tony was practically born to the job. His father is still an NYPD beat cop in the city."

"And Officer O'Neal…" Steve paused momentarily before he continued. "You know, I had originally assumed…"

"You had assumed that she was some kind of glorified secretary," Ed completed Steve's sentence with a grin. Being of the same generation, he understood McGarrett's traditional mindset. "The times are changing, Steve, and we have to keep up and adapt. Jenny's a damned fine officer. She's a top marksman and knows almost as much as Doc about forensics."

"Marks_woman_," Steve corrected, earning laughter from the older cop.

"Don't ever let her hear you say that, Steve."

o-o-o

A solitary man pulled his rusty car far enough into the woods so that it wouldn't be seen from the main road. It had served its purpose and now had to be left behind. He was not going to leave an easy trail to follow. He strapped on a pair of snowshoes, shouldered his pack of stolen supplies, tucked his snub nosed .38 into his coat then headed for the abandoned cabin, still a considerable distance away. After a good hike, it was starting to snow but he was close enough to just make out the outline of the small structure. He could also see a covered pick-up truck parked beside the cabin. A smile crinkled the corners of his unshaven face. What a fine truck his brother had found! It would get them both across the border in style. All was going smoothly according to their plans.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Doc Bernstein stomped his feet on the mat in the entryway of the police station to shake the loose snow from his boots. In one hand he carried his black medical bag and in the other, a thick file folder held closed with a rubber band.

"Good morning, gentlemen," the coroner said while he removed his hat and coat. It was a standard greeting and none too cheerful.

"You're up and out early, Doc," Ed remarked.

"Trying to beat the storm, Ed. It's already started snowing out there," the older man responded as he set down his black bag after dropping the folder on Maguire's desk. "And I wanted to check on my patient," "How's that shoulder, Steve?"

"It's fine," was McGarrett's blunt answer, and it probably wasn't true.

"I'll be the judge of that," Bernstein replied gruffly after he opened his bag and pulled out some bandages. "Now take off your shirt."

Steve made a less than pleasant face, to which Ed responded with a sigh. "You might as well do as he says. We won't get rid of him until you do."

Steve unbuttoned his plaid flannel shirt and slid his left arm out of its sleeve to expose his bandaged shoulder. The physician proceeded to remove the bandage so he could inspect the stitched wound.

"Looks good; no signs of infection," Bernstein muttered mostly to himself. He applied a fresh dressing to the wound and taped it securely in place. Then he pulled a sling out of his bag.

"I don't need that!" Steve insisted emphatically before the doctor could say anything.

Bernstein scowled beneath his bushy mustache. "I beg to differ, detective. You'd be a lot more comfortable. But I'm not going to argue. I'll leave this with you in case you change your mind."

Maguire smirked at the banter between the two stubborn men and quickly changed the subject. "What have you got here, Doc?" he asked, opening up the fat file folder on his desk.

"Autopsy results," the coroner tersely responded. "And it's not James Nelson or 'Jimmy Snails' as you call him. Blood type is the same but the prints don't match those on file."

Maguire and McGarrett stared at each other in disbelief. Both cop's minds processed the information, mentally fleshing out possible explanations and alternatives.

"So we're back to square one," Steve remarked in frustration as he finished buttoning his shirt.

"And we have a body to identify," Ed added, glancing through the autopsy report.

"That's your job, not mine," the coroner replied, packing up his things. "But I took the liberty of sending the prints to Albany. If they get a match, they'll telex the information to you."

A concerned looked passed between the two detectives as they both arrived at the same conclusion. _This means that Jimmy is still out there!_

o-o-o

After O'Neal had finished photographing the scene, Williams went to work gathering spent bullet casings and assorted items from the trash can, placing each item in a plastic evidence bag. The small cabin was sparsely appointed: a table with two wooden chairs, a mostly empty bookcase and a threadbare cot rounded out the furniture; a short stack of firewood littered the floor beside the hearth. Danny glanced up occasionally to watch Jenny meticulously dust every surface for prints. _She could give Che a run for the money,_ he mused as he observed her keen attention to detail. The woman worked around the dried blood and remnants of bullet torn flesh with detached professionalism. If they had been in Hawaii, the stench would have been sickening. As it was in the frigid temperatures, the bodily fluids had frozen to the floorboards and there was no odor at all.

"So why did you become a cop, if you don't mind me asking?" Danny asked his temporary partner. Not only had he been wondering about this out of sheer curiosity, but in truth he also wanted to get to know the woman better.

"No, I don't mind," Jenny replied as she continued her work. "My dad was a cop so I guess it's in my blood. I never wanted to be anything else."

"What did your mother think?"

"Mom died when I was young, so I don't really know. It was just me, my dad and my two brothers. Tim is an architect and Jeff is a lawyer. I'm the only one who wanted to be a cop."

"I'm sorry about your mother," Danny said gently then added "Your dad must be proud of you."

Jenny's eyes cast downward for an instant. "He was. He was killed in the line of duty five years ago." Her voice caught a little as she shared the tragic memory. When she looked up into the young detective's eyes, she saw deep compassion in his gaze and her composure returned along with her smile. "It's okay, Danny, I try to remember only the good times. What about your family?"

"My Aunt Clara lives in New York, but further south, closer to the city. She's my only living relative," Dan explained. "I guess Steve and the guys are my family now. I'll have to tell you about Chin and Kono sometime."

There was a crinkle of humor or maybe mischief in the young detective's clear blue eyes that left Jenny wanting to hear more about the detectives with the unusual names. "How about we stop for lunch on the way back to the station?" O'Neal asked her curly haired partner. "I'll radio Ed, he won't mind."

After all it might be their last chance before Williams returned home, and Jenny was enjoying his company.

"Sure, I'd like that," Danny replied, both surprised and delighted that she had done the asking.

o-o-o

The gently falling snow had steadily increased in intensity. The wind was picking up and visibility was becoming difficult. Plowing a path through the drifting snow with his old wooden bear paws, the bundled figure was relieved that he had almost reached the cabin and would soon be reunited with his brother. But when he was close enough to make out the lettering and insignia on the side of the truck parked next to the cabin…

_What the…? Damn! What the hell are the cops doing here? _

He dropped his pack, quickly released his snowshoe bindings, pulled out his .38 and cautiously approached the front door.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A.N. **- I apologize for taking so long to update this story. RL has been busy. I hope to update with new chapters in a more timely manner. Thank you to my readers who have waited patiently and haven't given up on this story!_

**Chapter 7**

"Back to square one," Steve repeated, this time with an edge of irritation in his tone. He paced back and forth in front of Maguire's desk while Ed watched him expending his nervous energy. "How could we have made a mistake? Our information put Jimmy in that cabin!" The frustrated detective stabbed the air with his index finger for emphasis. "Now we have an unknown body on our hands and..."

"It was pretty dark last night, Steve, we were under fire and you were hit. Danny had no other choice, no way of knowing that it wasn't Jimmy in that cabin. None of us did," Ed explained honestly in an attempt to ease McGarrett's litany of regrets. Then Maguire leaned forward in his chair and shook his head in his own frustration. "You know, I could have sworn that was Jimmy. Doc said that the body is a similar height and weight. But he also said that Danny's bullet did quite a job on the man's face."

"I think our information was reliable, but our timing was off," Steve continued. He stopped in his tracks and snapped his fingers several times as a thought entered his mind. "Wait a minute! Maybe Jimmy had a partner, perhaps someone who bore a striking resemblance to him. Didn't his file say that he had a brother?"

Maguire fished through the papers in the folder until he found the appropriate background page. "Let's see…yes, one brother…Paul," Ed read from the paper. "Spent time in Vietnam, discharged due to psychological issues." The New York cop looked up at McGarrett. "That could explain all the wild shooting last night. His prints are on file; I'll call Doc and have him run a check."

As soon as Maguire put his hand on the phone, it rang making both detectives jump.

Ed released a breath before answering the call. "Champlain Police, Maguire speaking."

"_Hi Ed, Tony. We're about finished at Stewart's. The owner is pretty shaken up, but he was able to give us a good description. The guy took mostly canned food, some junk food and a six pack of beer. He also took a box of matches and all the cash from the till. Then he headed north toward the border."_

"Okay, Tony. Come on back in; that storm is coming in sooner than expected."

"_Will do, Ed. The snow is coming down pretty fast now. I expect that we'll get some calls from cars gone off the road. Oh, and Ed?"_

"Yeah?"

"_Funny thing…the description we got of the perp fits Jimmy Snails to a tee!"_

Fabrizio's final comment sent a chill down Maguire's spine. He ran a hand through his raft of white hair. Steve couldn't help but notice the older man's abrupt change in expression and body language.

"What is it?" Steve asked, now on full alert himself.

"Steve, I think that Jimmy is headed out to the cabin right now," Ed explained quickly, his voice grave and laced with concern. "Jenny and Danny are still out there…"

o-o-o

Jimmy Snails had enough forethought to assess the situation before entering the cabin. He crept around the structure to the broken window by the back door, taking care to keep low enough to avoid being seen. Any sound he might have made was drowned out by the howling wind. He dropped his pack by the door and rose cautiously to chance a hasty peek through the jagged glass. His grip tightened on his .38, fully prepared to blow away the first cop he spotted. But Jimmy never expected that the cop inside the cabin would be a woman. At the sight of Jenny O'Neal, an evil smile spread across his unshaven face as a lustful hunger crept into his mind and loins. _What have we here? We're going to have some fun before you die, girlie! _

Jimmy left the window and burst through the back door; his weapon aimed at Jenny's heart. "Well, hello there, honey…" Jimmy drawled suggestively.

Danny reacted instantly to the intrusion, drew his service revolver and stepped out from behind the door that, to his good fortune, had temporarily hidden him from view.

"Police, hold it right there," Dan ordered in a low, deadly serious tone, pushing the barrel of his gun into Jimmy's back, which quelled the criminal's physical arousal in favor of self-preservation.

Any sane person would have stopped dead in his tracks, but Jimmy was not sane. Fast as lightening, he spun around and back handed Danny across the face with his pistol, sending the surprised cop staggering backward. The blow caused the detective's service revolver to slip out of his hand as he instinctively tried to break his fall.

When Dan looked up, he was horrified when he saw Jimmy turn his .38 in Jenny's direction. He wrapped his legs around Jimmy's, knocking the larger man off his feet, just as the gun fired. A sickening scream followed the deafening blast, and Dan knew that O'Neal was hit. Jenny collapsed in agony on the other side of the room, intense pain robbing her of vision and rational thought for several seconds.

"NO!"

The anguished cry erupted from Danny's being of its own accord. Danny had no idea how badly the woman was wounded and he could only imagine the worst. Jenny's scream had ignited a rage in the detective and he launched himself at Jimmy, grabbing for the gun before the madman could fire another round. Rolling around on the frozen floor, the two desperate men fought for the gun, one just as determined as the other to win control over the deadly weapon. But burning rage alone was not sufficient for Danny to gain the upper hand since Jimmy was at least fifty pounds heavier than he was. The slight cop was soon pinned to the floor beneath the larger man and was staring down the barrel of Jimmy's cocked .38. Danny's eyes widened and all color drained from his face. In an instant, he realized that this was very likely the last moment of his life. A second explosion of gunfire ripped through the air and then a sudden, eerie silence enveloped the room.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Danny released the strangled breath he had been holding and opened his eyes, not quite understanding why he was still alive. He glanced to his side at Jimmy's lifeless body, so close to his own that he could see a wisp of vapor rising from the fatal wound, made visible as body heat hit the frigid air. He checked for a pulse just to confirm what he already knew. After a couple more seconds, Dan remembered that he wasn't alone. _Jenny! _ Turning his head in the opposite direction gave the detective a complete explanation of what had happened and why he was still among the living. O'Neal was seated on the floor with her legs stretched out in front of her. Blood seeped from her upper thigh, trailed down her leg and darkened the floorboards beside her right hip. She stared forward, both white knuckled hands tightly gripping her service revolver which was still aimed in Danny's direction.

"Jenny?" Danny called out cautiously. O'Neal looked deathly pale.

The sound of Dan's voice snapped the woman back to reality and she slowly lowered her weapon. "Is he…?" O'Neal asked, trying to keep her voice steady.

"All pau," Danny replied quickly.

"What?"

"Dead. He's dead, Jenny."

Danny pushed himself up off the floor and hurried over to his wounded colleague. He squatted down in front of O'Neal and inspected the fresh gunshot wound in the middle of her thigh, which was still oozing a fair amount of blood. It was bad, but he had seen worse. At least the blood wasn't spurting out; for that, Dan was relieved. He gripped the woman's shoulder and looked into her pain-filled eyes. "You saved my life, Jenny; thanks," the detective said gratefully. He was truly impressed that, even in her intense pain, O'Neal had summoned enough grit to do what she had done. For an instant, a late afternoon on the side of Diamond Head drifted into Danny's thoughts; a situation in which he'd had to do something similar.

"Don't mention it," Jenny replied through her labored breathing. Her jaw was still clenched and her brown curls clung to her damp forehead. "I've got your back." She managed a slight smile when she looked into Danny's concerned blue eyes. Then she noticed Danny's cheek, swollen and discolored with bruising from Jimmy's brutal blow. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," the curly haired detective answered. He smiled back briefly before returning his attention to O'Neal's damaged leg. "I've got to get that bleeding under control," Dan stated urgently while he rummaged in his pocket for a handkerchief.

"There's a clean towel with the fingerprint kit in the tackle box," Jenny suggested between unsteady breaths, now holding onto her leg with both hands.

Dan was on his feet then back with the towel in seconds. Using his pocket knife, he carefully cut though the fabric of Jenny's pant leg and thermal long johns, exposing the injured flesh. _Now the hard part_. Danny knew how agonizing it was when direct pressure was applied to a fresh bullet wound, and now he was going to have to inflict that kind of pain on a woman. "Jenny, this is going to hurt," he stated apologetically. "You ready?"

"Just do it," Jenny said, steeling herself for the worst. Dan positioned the folded towel over the wound and applied a steady firm pressure.

Jenny had always heard it said that women are able to bear pain more easily than men, but at this moment she wasn't quite sure about that. Her head snapped back as she unsuccessfully tried to stifle a scream. She squeezed her eyes closed, unable to control the tears flowing down her face. Her suffering tore at Danny's heart. But she had just saved his life and he was determined to return the favor.

"Take deep breaths," Danny advised as calmly as he could.

Jenny's head dropped to her chest and she drew in a few slow deep breaths. When she had regained control, she lifted her head and once again gazed into steady clear blue eyes. "I'm okay now," she managed to whisper. Danny couldn't help but feel protective toward this brave woman, but the cop in him also admired her toughness.

While Dan continued to maintain pressure on the towel, he glanced around the room, his eyes stopping when he saw the cot. "Here, hold this," Danny said, taking O'Neal's hand and placing it over the towel. Then he walked over to the cot and pulled off the threadbare sheet that covered the thin musty mattress. Jenny watched as he tore the sheet into long thin strips of cloth. When he returned, he sat down on the floor next to O'Neal and began wrapping the makeshift bandages around her thigh, securing the towel in place. Fortunately the pressure had slowed the bleeding considerably. Dan pulled the strips of cloth firmly and finally tied a knot in the ends to finish the job.

"There," he declared. "Now we have to get you out of here. That bullet's in pretty deep; you're going to need more than just a couple of stitches from Doc. You need a hospital."

"Yeah," O'Neal agreed as she started to shiver uncontrollably.

Danny wasn't sure if Jenny's shivering was from the bitter cold or if the woman was going into shock; either way he was worried and he was determined to make sure she received proper medical attention before her condition worsened. He took her hand in his and looked into her eyes. "Jenny, I'm going to leave you for a few minutes. I'm going out to the truck to radio for help, but I'll be right back, okay?"

O'Neal nodded and Danny reached up, gently brushing a tear off her cheek. "Hang tight," he said. Then he rose and headed for the door.

o-o-o

McGarrett leaned his uninjured shoulder against the station wall and crossed his arms, trying to keep a lid on his own anxiety while he watched Maguire fidget nervously at his desk. Finally, Ed rose and began pacing. Steve knew exactly how the older man felt. As a disciplined professional, the head of Five-O usually kept his emotions in check beneath the surface, not allowing his feelings to interfere with the job. But try as he might, that calm facade seemed to go straight out the window whenever his second-in-command was in danger.

"We've got to get out to that cabin, Steve!" Ed blurted out emphatically just as Tony and Lars entered the station.

"Can't, Ed, not right now," Lars said, catching his boss's comment. "Whiteout conditions; it's too dangerous to drive."

"We had a hard enough time making it back here," Tony added.

Erikson and Fabrizio stomped the snow from their boots and brushed off their coats, leaving a pile of white on the doormat. They immediately sensed the tension in the room.

"What happened?" asked Lars.

"Doc confirmed that the body from last night wasn't Jimmy. Prints didn't match," Ed explained to his officers. "If the man who hit Stewart's is Jimmy…" Maguire's voice trailed off before he took a breath, attempting to rein in his fear. "Jenny's still out there," he continued grimly. "You know what that animal does to women!"

"Danno's with her," Steve broke in, trying to reassure the men. "He'll keep her safe…"

...o_r die trying. _ The frightening end of the sentence, left unspoken, passed through McGarrett's mind, chilling him to the bone.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"Damn!" Danny cursed under his breath in frustration as he banged his fist against the truck's dashboard. He had tried several times to contact the station by radio to no avail. The fierce winter storm must have been interfering with the transmission. _So we're cut off_, Dan admitted to himself. His mind kicked into problem solving mode and began to list priorities. He quickly searched the interior of the truck. Finding a blanket that was stashed behind the seat, he stuffed it into his coat to shield it from the snow and warm it against his body.

o-o-o

After Danny had left the cabin, Jenny let loose a couple of her own four letter words. Strangely enough, her outburst seemed to ease the pain; at least that was her impression. Then it occurred to her that she had unconsciously held back the un-ladylike language in Dan's presence and she wondered why. She pulled her coat up closer around her neck. The penetrating cold was becoming more difficult to ignore, made worse by the blasts of wind and snow coming through the broken window. She glanced up toward the window. The snow was falling thick and fast. She could no longer see the truck through the veil of white. "Oh no!" The words escaped her lips automatically.

o-o-o

Danny jumped down from the driver's side of the truck only to be assaulted by a barrage of cold wet snow. He circled around to the rear of the vehicle, opened the tailgate and grabbed a folded plastic tarp from the back before heading back to the cabin. The dense swirling blizzard made it difficult even to see the structure in front of him. When Dan reached the cabin, he entered quickly and slammed the door behind him as fast as he could. Jenny looked up at the snow covered detective who was shaking off the frosty coating as if it were toxic.

"The radio's out," Danny stated bluntly as he unfolded the tarp and unceremoniously draped it over Jimmy's corpse. Then he crossed the room, pulled the blanket from beneath his coat and wrapped it around the wounded woman's shoulders.

"Thanks," Jenny said, still shivering.

"We'll have to get you to the hospital on our own," Dan continued. "Think you can stand if I help you? I'll get you out to the truck and we can get out of here." The young man's adrenalin had kicked in and he was already thinking ten steps ahead.

"Danny," O'Neal said calmly but firmly. She clasped the detective's arm to get his attention and slow him down. "We can't go anywhere right now."

"We have to, Jenny," Dan countered emphatically. "We can't stay here; it's freezing and you need a doctor."

"I know, but..." Jenny inclined her head toward the madly falling snow. "Danny, look out the window; it's a whiteout. It's far too dangerous to drive in this. You won't be able to see two feet in front of the truck. We'll have to wait it out."

Dan glanced out the window. Even though he was determined to get them on the road to safety as soon as possible, he was also smart enough to heed the voice of reason. After all, he wasn't familiar with the behavior of snow storms like this and O'Neal was. "How long?"

"Maybe an hour or two. These squalls usually come in bands," Jenny explained, pulling the blanket around her body, relishing what little warmth it provided.

"An hour or two," Dan repeated, accepting the situation, his mind moving on to the next necessary task. "It's too cold in here to wait that long, unless…" He eyed the small stack of wood next to the fireplace. Several years ago, before he had quit smoking, he had always kept a book of matches or a lighter in his pocket, but after giving up his habit, he no longer needed them. "Do you have any matches?"

"No, I'm afraid not," O'Neal answered as she shifted her throbbing leg, trying to find a comfortable position.

"Well, maybe I can at least block that hole in the window." Dan rose to his feet and headed for the back door. "Be right back."

Upon inspecting the rear side of the cabin, Danny was both surprised and relieved that the building was old enough to have functional shutters. Against the stiff wind he pulled the aged boards as hard as he could on their rusted hinges until they met in the middle of the damaged window and then he hooked them together. That would be of some help, but they would still need some source of heat or the wait would be very unpleasant, not to mention dangerous. Hurrying to the back door to get out of the storm again, Dan tripped over a large lump in the snow. When he regained his footing, he brushed the accumulated snow off the offending object, revealing Jimmy's pack! He grabbed the pack, brought it into the cabin and set it down beside O'Neal. Then he knelt down and began pulling items from the pack.

"Room service?" Jenny asked wryly, her teeth still chattering in spite of the wool blanket she wore.

"Yeah," Danny replied automatically as he continued his search. Then a smile lit up his face as he pulled out a box of matches. "Bingo!"

o-o-o

"Danny's in danger, too, Steve!" Ed blurted out, returning to his pacing.

McGarrett kept his eye on Maguire. He could feel the tension virtually emanating from the older man's body. He could also feel the unease in his own gut concerning Danno's safety even before Maguire had put it into words. He knew that he needed to redirect Ed's mind back to procedure.

"Easy, Ed," Steve said in a low voice. "What's the plan?"

Maguire ceased pacing and started thinking again. "As soon as the snow lets up, we head for the cabin, silent approach, just like last night." Ed's tone again bore the strength of command. "Tony, get on the phone to public works; tell them the north road gets priority for plowing just as soon as they can get out. Lars, load up the snowshoes."


	10. Chapter 10

_**A.N. **__– In this somewhat longer chapter, Danny recalls his experience from the first season episode "King of the Hill" so, of course, this story line is not mine._

**Chapter 10**

The fire blazed and crackled in the stone fireplace providing some blessed warmth to the two well chilled officers. Danny bent down by the hearth and poked the burning logs into place with a stick from the wood pile. Then he straightened up and scanned the room for items that could be burned after the fire had consumed its current source of fuel. He grabbed the two ladder back chairs from the cabin's small table and began breaking them up for kindling, kicking the pieces of wood apart at the joints with the full force of his weight. The chairs wouldn't burn for long, but it was better than nothing.

O'Neal's eyes were glued to her busy colleague; Williams couldn't seem to stop moving. After regarding him in silence for several minutes, she spoke her mind.

"You don't wait very well." It was a matter-of-fact statement and not meant as a criticism.

At Jenny's comment, Dan glanced up from his task and met her eyes. "I guess I don't," he replied in all seriousness. After a moment he added in a lighter tone "But I wait a lot better than Steve does." Danny smiled wistfully as he thought about his boss and the man's many fits of impatience he had witnessed over the years they had worked together. Then he noticed Jenny wince as she flexed her leg, even though she tried to hide it. His smile disappeared and was replaced by a look of concern. "How are you doing?"

"Fine," Jenny lied, avoiding Williams' gaze.

"How's the pain?" Danny persisted.

"Still there," O'Neal replied, fatigue evident in her voice.

The woman's eyes looked heavy and her head was starting to droop. Dan was worried that she was probably worse off than she was willing to admit and he was afraid that she might lose consciousness. When he finished breaking apart the last chair, he piled the broken pieces atop the remaining firewood then took a seat on the floor beside Jenny, reached over and gently squeezed her shoulder.

"Hey, stay with me, okay? I _know_ that I don't wait very well alone," Danny said softly. "I guess we'll have to postpone our lunch. Why don't you tell me more about your dad?"

"Okay," Jenny whispered, meeting Dan's eyes. She paused a few moments to gather her thoughts. "Dad was career Navy. He graduated from Annapolis in 1936 and served on a destroyer in the South Pacific. He never wanted any other life until the day he met my mom when he was on shore leave."

Danny noticed that O'Neal's focus on telling the story provided a good distraction from her pain. Her voice sounded stronger. She shifted her legs again. Danny had also settled down from his bout of nervous energy and was no longer looking at the window every few minutes to check the storm.

"They got married and started a family right away," Jenny continued her story. "Dad knew that it wouldn't be any kind of life for them if he returned to sea, so he planned to retire from the Navy and become a cop. But those plans changed when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Though he was torn between his family and defending his country, he felt duty bound to return to the Navy. After the war was over, he did become a cop. He never regretted it, either. At least that's what he told us. My folks had a good marriage. It just ended all too soon." The woman's gaze dropped and there was a hint of melancholy in her voice.

O'Neal looked back up at Dan. In spite of all his activity, the curly haired officer was still visibly shivering and he raised his open palms toward the fire to capture its warmth then rubbed his hands together. "You warm enough, Danny?"

"Sure," Williams answered. He drew his legs up close to his body and wrapped his arms around his knees to conserve his body heat.

O'Neal didn't really believe him, but decided to let it pass and changed the subject. "You promised to tell me about Chin Ho and Koko," Jenny reminded him.

"Kono," Danny corrected her, his blue eyes crinkling with humor. He found himself enjoying O'Neal's company; he just wished that the circumstances were different – very different. Danny told Jenny all about Chin, his wife and eight children and how his twenty years on the force brought stability and wisdom to their team. He told her about Kono's large extended family, his larger appetite and his proud ancestry that traced back to Hawaiian royalty.

Jenny listened to Danny's stories with genuine interest, but there was something else she wanted to know. And there was something about the personable young detective that made her comfortable enough to risk the question. Finally, she took a deep breath and broached the subject.

"Danny, is it okay if…um…may ask you something personal?"

"Sure," Danny responded honestly. "What's on your mind?"

"Have you ever taken a bullet?" Jenny gazed straight at him as she spoke.

The question hung in the air for a few seconds. Danny wasn't sure what he had been expecting her to ask but that wasn't it. His mood became serious as painful memories from years past resurfaced.

"Yeah, a couple of times," Dan answered soberly. "Is this the first time you…?"

"Yeah," Jenny replied quickly before he could finish the question. She regarded Dan with a deeper respect and admiration. "Do you mind if… if it's not too difficult…would you tell me about your first time?"

Dan took a deep breath. "Jenny, the first time I was hit, it wasn't even in the line of duty. It was just a bizarre accident that spiraled out of control and I happened to be right in the middle of it," Danny explained. He ran a hand through his sandy curls before he continued; his tone deadly serious. "It turned into a hostage situation; it was the longest day of my life."

Jenny's grey eyes widened with surprise. "What happened?" she heard herself say.

So Danny started at the beginning. "Five-O sponsors a kid's baseball team and I'm the coach." Dan relaxed and smiled as he remembered the small group of local boys who looked up to him and hung on every word he said concerning baseball. "One Saturday we were having practice and this Marine came by. He was on leave from Viet Nam. He watched the practice for a while then he asked if he could help. We were having a great time. Auston, that was his name, was helping our catcher behind home plate. He was squatted down right beside the boy when our batter took a home run sized swing. The bat slipped out of the boy's hand and connected with the Marine's head. Auston dropped like he'd been shot. I couldn't rouse him so I sent the boys home then radioed HPD and an ambulance."

Dan took another calming breath. He didn't realize how difficult it would be to recount the terrible ordeal that he had been fortunate to survive. The gap of silence was filled by the frigid howling wind outside the cabin and the fire crackling in the hearth. Jenny sensed Danny's unease but the compassion in her eyes urged him to continue.

"We got Auston to the hospital and into an examination room. The intern on duty needed to know what happened, so he was listening as I gave my statement to the HPD officer. It was then that Auston started to come around. The trouble was that, due to the head injury, in Auston's mind he was back in Viet Nam surrounded by VC. Before any of us knew that he was awake, Auston grabbed the officer's gun and fired three times. I took a round in the gut and the other officer took one in the leg. Somehow the intern managed to get the officer out to safety, but I was left alone in the room with Auston who was determined to shoot anyone who came near us."

Jenny cringed at the thought of being shot in the gut at such close range. "I'm so sorry, Danny," she said as she reached out and took his hand in hers in a gesture of support. "And I thought my leg was painful. I can't imagine what you must have endured."

"I've never experienced pain that bad before or since," Dan admitted. "But that was only the beginning. As I said, no one could get near us without Auston opening fire. So there I was, curled up and bleeding on the floor, in a hospital, no less, and no one could help me. It must've been hours before Steve figured out that he could get into the room if he dressed in combat gear and pretended to be a corpsman providing medical aid." Dan paused and squeezed Jenny's hand, drawing strength and comfort from the physical contact. "If it hadn't been for Steve, I know I would have died."

"Hours? How did you hold on all that time?" Jenny whispered in awe.

Danny smiled poignantly. "It was Steve. All the time I was lying on that floor, I could hear Steve's voice in the hallway, barking orders, yelling at the doctors, calling my name to make sure I was still alive..." Dan's voice caught a little as he continued. "When my strength was gone and the pain was overwhelming, I just focused in on his voice. I knew that he wouldn't give up and because of that, I didn't either. I passed out before Steve got to me. The next thing I remembered was waking up in a hospital bed with Steve standing beside me."

"Wow," Jenny said, still holding onto Danny's hand, mesmerized by what he had just shared.

"Yeah," Dan agreed.

Their eyes remained locked for a brief interval. Then Danny glanced out the window and breathed a sigh of relief. "Storm's almost over," he said with a grin, giving Jenny's hand a final squeeze before standing up. "I'm going to try the radio again."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

The low rumble of a large truck engine drew the four men to the window of the small police station just in time to see the county plow pass by, leaving piles of fresh snow in its wake.

"That's our cue; let's move out!" Ed ordered as he was shouldering into his parka.

Erikson, Fabrizio and McGarrett were likewise bundling up, their minds solely fixed on getting to the cabin as soon as possible. They were almost out the door when the radio scanner on Maguire's desk crackled to life with an incoming message, causing the elder cop to stop in his tracks.

"_Williams to Maguire. Come in, Maguire!"_

"Hold it!" Ed abruptly shouted to the other officers before he hurried back to respond to the call.

"_Williams to Maguire," _the insistent voice repeated, breaking through the static.

Ed snatched up the mic as soon as he reached the desk. "Maguire here. Danny, what's going on? Where's Jenny?" Normally, O'Neal would have called into the station. The fact that Williams was on the radio instead caused Ed's gut to twist with worry. Just as anxious, Steve also stood by the desk, crowding Ed's personal space in his effort to get closer to the speaker.

"_Jimmy was here, Ed," _Danny explained quickly. _"He took us by surprise. Jenny was hit and we need an ambulance right away. Jimmy's dead."_

"How bad is Jenny?" Maguire asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"_She took a slug square in the thigh. I stopped the bleeding, but she doesn't look so good."_

"Help is on the way," Ed responded tersely while gesturing orders to Tony and Lars with his free hand. "Tell Jenny to hang on a little longer. And Danny…thanks for taking care of her. Over."

Ed put down the mic and ran a nervous hand through his white hair while he grabbed the phone.

o-o-o

Dan put the mic back in its bracket on the dashboard and left the truck, relieved that he had done his part in summoning help and now Ed and Steve would take care of the details. When he returned to the cabin, he was shocked to find Jenny on her feet, leaning precariously against the fireplace with a few sticks of wood in one hand while gripping the mantel for stability with the other.

"Hey, what are you doing?" Danny cried out, probably a little too harshly, as he rushed over to the woman, put an arm around her waist and eased her back down onto the blanket. "You need to stay put; your leg could start bleeding again!"

"The fire was dying down, I was just trying to keep it going," O'Neal responded, out of breath from her exertion.

"I'll take care of that," Danny said in a calmer tone, picking the up the sticks that had fallen to the floor then carefully piling them on top of the glowing embers. "Help is on the way; it won't be long now..."

Before Williams could say more, a sharp spasm ripped through Jenny's leg. She gasped and closed her eyes, waiting for the pain and dizziness to pass.

Dan sat down and wrapped a supportive arm around O'Neal's shoulders. "Easy," he whispered. In another moment, he felt her body relax and she released her breath. Danny pulled away slowly then checked the bandages on her leg. While there was evidence of fresh blood spotting through the center of the towel, it didn't look too bad.

"I'm okay, Danny," Jenny said in a stronger voice. "Did you tell Ed about Jimmy?'

"Yeah," Dan replied somewhat regretfully, looking toward the plastic covered corpse on the opposite side of the room. Then after some thought he added "I can't say that I'm sorry…he would have killed me if you hadn't taken that shot. But…"

"What is it, Danny?"

"Last night when I thought I had killed Jimmy…well, Steve and I talked on the way to Ed's. Steve was disappointed that we couldn't take him alive. He wasn't disappointed in me; it's just that we came all this way and he was determined that Jimmy would stand trial for his crimes." It suddenly occurred to Dan how natural it felt to talk to Jenny like this. _Is it because she's a cop? _he wondered. Then he finished his line of thought: "Steve always regrets a death; it doesn't matter whose it is."

O'Neal pondered Dan's final comment. _Of course, it was always better to let the justice system deal with hardened criminals. But to feel __regret? _"Steve must be an exceptional man," Jenny mused.

"That he is," Danny said with pride and rock solid certainty.

Jenny studied the young man's face. After spending just a couple of hours with Dan Williams, it was plain as day: the bond between this man and his boss was as strong as that of two brothers. The revelation made the woman smile.

"What?" Danny asked, completely perplexed.

"You and Steve are close," Jenny said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Yeah," Dan answered honestly. "He's the finest cop I've ever known. It was an incredible honor when he selected me for Five-O." After a short pause he added "I never dreamed that we would become friends."

Another interval of quiet passed before Jenny's next question. "Why does he call you 'Danno'?" She had been wondering that since the two cops had arrived in New York.

Danny laughed. "Do you really want to know?"

When Jenny nodded, Danny thought back to that night years ago when he had become 'Danno' quite by accident.

"I had only been with Five-O for a year…or was it a year and a half?" he began. "Anyway, we were working late one night, me, Steve and Kono. Chin was at the hospital with his wife; their youngest daughter Tilda had just been born the day before. We had been reviewing the details of a case for hours and it had to have been after midnight. We were all tired, especially Steve, who hadn't had much sleep in days."

Danny's blue eyes crinkled with humor as the memory came flooding back.

"At one point, Steve was looking right at me and he started to say something, I don't remember what, to Kono. Somehow he got tongue-tied and what came out was 'Danno'. Well, the three of us stared at each other for a minute. Then Kono and I looked at each other and said "Danno?" at the same time. Steve then realized what he had said. After that, we all started laughing. It really broke the tension. But the name stuck, especially for Steve. Ever since that night, he's always called me 'Danno'. And I don't mind it at all."

Jenny looked amused. She leaned into Dan's shoulder again and whispered "Makes perfect sense; thanks for telling me."

"You're welcome." Dan said warmly, giving the woman's shoulder a gentle squeeze, pleased to see her smile again. The shared moment was soon interrupted by the muffled roar of approaching vehicles. "They're here," Danny said as he swiftly rose from the floor.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

When Dan looked out the window, he saw a large truck with a wide plow blade attached to the front, pushing volumes of snow to the side and leaving a clear path behind. Maguire's patrol car, occupied by Ed, Steve, Tony and Lars, followed in the truck's wake. While Dan was relieved to see the fellow officers, he was concerned that there wasn't an ambulance in sight. The vehicles stopped and Maguire left the blue and white, sprinted to the cab of the plow truck and spoke briefly with its driver. While the four cops headed for the cabin with Ed in the lead, the plow truck driver revved the engine and began driving back and forth, clearing a large area by the road. Dan opened the cabin door and Ed bolted through, not stopping for any formalities.

"Jenny!" was all Maguire could utter when he saw his wounded officer on the floor. He rushed to her side, squatted next to her and inspected her bandaged leg. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay, Ed. I just want to get out of here," Jenny replied weakly, embarrassed to be the center of attention. Tony and Lars also hovered over the woman, worry etched on their faces. "Hi guys," she greeted them with a slight smile while Lars squeezed her shoulder.

McGarrett's relief at seeing Williams again was genuine and it showed on his face. But the tall cop's brow wrinkled and his expression turned serious when he caught sight of the damage inflicted to Dan's cheek. "You okay, Danno?" Steve asked as he reached out and lifted Dan's chin, tilting the bruised and swollen jaw toward the light. "That looks painful," he commented; his eyes boring into his second-in-command. "What happened?"

"It's nothing," Dan replied quickly, trying not to wince at his boss's touch. While he was more than happy to see Steve, his attention was still fixed on Jenny. "Where's the ambulance?"

"There hasn't been enough time to clear the snow from the main roads, so Ed ordered a chopper," Steve explained, noticing that Dan had barely looked away from the downed officer by the hearth. He nodded toward the tarp draped corpse. "Danno?"

"Jimmy caught me off guard, Steve, knocked me down; knocked my gun out of my hand. He was going to…" Dan hesitated as a shiver traveled down his spine. He nervously ran a hand through his curls and fought to keep his voice steady. "I managed to trip him just as he fired at Jenny but she was hit." There would be time to give a full, detailed statement later. Right now, he only cared about getting O'Neal to the hospital. "Jimmy had the upper hand…would have killed me…Jenny saved my life, Steve," Danny finished in a serious tone, low enough so that only McGarrett would hear.

Dan's brief explanation of the close call instantly increased his boss's heart rate. But thanks to O'Neal, Danny's life had been spared. Gratitude replaced concern in Steve's mind. He gripped his second's shoulder, a gesture that sufficed for what he could not put into words. Williams started to say something else, but he was drowned out by the unmistakable deafening noise of a helicopter setting down just outside.

In no time, two paramedics entered the cabin carrying a basket stretcher and an emergency medical kit. The New York cops moved aside so that the professionals could assess O'Neal's condition and prep her for transport. Jenny was relieved that help had finally arrived. But as the men worked on her, she suddenly realized that she was going to be stuck in the hospital for at least a couple of days. Danny and Steve would be flying home soon. Would she ever see Danny again or was this it? Her dejected expression was mistaken for pain as the paramedics lifted her off the floor, one on each side of the stretcher, and they quickened their pace.

"We're all ready, sir," one of the paramedics announced to Maguire who then returned to O'Neal's side.

"May I ride along?" Ed asked, with every attempt to sound professional, as he tried to keep the worry out of his voice.

"Yes sir, we have room for two," the young medic replied loudly enough for Jenny to hear.

O'Neal scanned the room as much as she was able from her prone position. She was relieved when she saw Williams moving to the side of the stretcher.

"Danny?" Jenny called out, looking into Maguire's eyes with a pleading expression. Ed squeezed her hand.

"Right here, Jenny," Danny reassured the woman as he stepped closer so that she could see him without lifting her head.

"Steve, do you mind if Danny rides along?" Maguire asked. "He can give me his statement while they're working on Jenny."

"Good idea," Steve responded tersely. "And you can have someone take a look at his jaw while you're there."

Dan shot Steve an annoyed look, but was happy to have a reasonable excuse to stay with O'Neal. And he was well used to his boss's overprotective tendencies toward him.

"Will do, Steve," Maguire responded tersely.

"Mahalo, Ed," Steve called out as they left the cabin and moved toward the helicopter. "I'll take care of things on this end."

No further conversation was possible once the pilot started the chopper's engine and the rotating blades accelerated to the speed necessary to lift the craft off the ground. In the small area behind the cockpit, one of the medics started a saline IV, injected a mild pain reliever and covered the patient with a wool blanket. Danny was seated on the floor next to the stretcher, holding Jenny's hand tightly. He wasn't sure if he was feeling something for the woman other than concern mixed with gratitude; he only knew that he didn't want to let go of her hand right now.

Ed sat near the top of the stretcher, his hand cupping the crown of O'Neal's head, the physical contact calming his frayed nerves. Finally warm enough and with the edge taken off the pain, Jenny slipped into a light sleep.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

True to his word, once O'Neal had been taken into surgery, Maguire had flagged down an intern to look at Williams' jaw. With the pronouncement that nothing was broken, Dan had been given two aspirin and an ice pack, hardly worth the insurance forms he had been forced to fill out. But the numbing cold did feel good on his sore face. Dan was mildly amused at the irony since he was certain that he never wanted to see any ice ever again outside of the shaved and flavored variety.

When Dan arrived at the waiting area of the surgical suite, he found Ed pacing the length of the small room. "Any word yet?" the young detective asked.

"No," Maguire replied nervously. "How's the jaw?"

"It's fine; nothing broken." Dan observed the elder cop with the trained eye of an experienced investigator, taking in the man's posture, voice, expression and mannerisms. The energetic, jovial man Williams had met just days before seemed to have aged ten years. All the physical evidence affirmed that Ed was on the edge with worry over Jenny, despite all of his efforts to hide that fact. Then another thought suddenly occurred to Danny: he wondered if he was now looking at a parallel image of Steve, pacing the hallway at Queen's when Bergman had been working on _him_. Dan's heart softened with a new empathy for his boss and also for the man in front of him.

"Ed, are you ready to take my statement?" Dan asked, hoping that the work would pass the time and provide a distraction.

Maguire stopped pacing, ran a hand through his disheveled white hair and gave Danny a weary smile. "Sure, Danny, let's sit down."

o-o-o

Once the helicopter was in the air, McGarrett and Erikson returned to the cabin while Fabrizio sprinted back to the squad car to radio the coroner. Without exchanging many words, the tall blond cop and the dark haired detective set about the task of processing the scene. While he was upset that O'Neal had been injured, Lars did not harbor any ill feelings toward Danny. It might have been easy to cast blame on the young detective, but Lars didn't know the full details of what had really happened in the cabin and he was fair-minded enough not to form opinions prematurely. Tony, on the other hand, was a hot head and wore his emotions on his sleeve.

"Doc's on the way," Fabrizio reported with an angry edge in his tone as he re-entered the structure. "And he's not too happy about it, either!" The younger cop made no effort to hide his feelings and shot McGarrett a not so friendly glare. Steve assumed a defensive posture but before he could say anything, Lars did his best to diffuse the situation.

"Easy, Tony, we don't know what happened," Erikson said calmly. "I'm sure that Danny did his best to protect Jenny. What's done is done." The stern look in Lars' eyes told Tony that an immediate apology was in order.

After a deep breath, Fabrizio spoke to the head of Five-O in a more civil tone. "Sorry Steve. Guess I'm just worried about Jenny."

"Forget it," said McGarrett, an understanding smile appearing on his face, then just as quickly vanishing. To Steve, Tony's behavior was reminiscent of Danno's short fuse, especially in the early days when he was new to the team. His valued second-in-command had gained better control of his emotions as he had matured and Tony would, too, in time.

Before long, Doc Bernstein arrived with the coroner's wagon. He stomped the snow from his boots after he entered the cabin. "Miserable day" was his deadpan greeting to the three busy officers.

"Hi Doc," responded Lars and Tony, who were well used to the ME's bear-like demeanor.

"I see that you've decided not to wear the sling, Steve," Bernstein scolded. "You'll regret that later."

"We've had work to do, Doc," Steve countered, trying not to be obvious about favoring his uninjured shoulder. "And I'm fine."

The doctor mumbled something under his breath. It was apparent to his trained eye that the big man was clearly in some level of pain. But he wasn't going to argue about it with the visiting cop, so he directed his attention to the tarp covered body. "So you have another customer for me?"

"Yeah, Doc," answered Steve. "And this time, it really is Jimmy."

The coroner squatted next to the body and raised the plastic sheet. "Single bullet wound to the chest, looks like a .38…bruising on the forearms…looks like he put up a fight…" He lowered the tarp and slowly stood again. "Okay, boys, let's get him loaded up."

Tony and Lars followed Bernstein outside to the wagon then returned with a gurney. The two cops lifted the lifeless body of Jimmy Snails onto the gurney, strapped him in place then carried him back outside and loaded him into the back of the wagon for his trip to the county morgue. "I'll be in touch," Doc said. Then before he climbed into the driver's side of the wagon, he added in a gentler tone "And please give my best to Jenny."

"Will do, Doc," Lars called out before the driver's side door slammed shut.

Once the scene was cleaned up and the fire in the hearth extinguished, the officers climbed into the patrol car and headed back to the station, an easier trip this time since more roads had been cleared of snow. Erikson dropped Fabrizio off at the station for the evening shift then he and Steve headed for the hospital with Lars resisting the strong urge to use the siren.

o-o-o

"Before I knew it, I was on the floor and Jimmy had his gun aimed directly at Jenny," Dan explained to Ed all the while trying to keep his voice steady. He set his ice pack down on an empty chair. Most of the ice had already melted.

Maguire grimaced while he recorded Williams' words in his note pad. He couldn't help but visualize the desperate situation in his mind.

"I knew he was going to fire," the young detective continued in a grave tone, looking Ed in the eye. "All that I could do was to trip him; knock him off his feet and hope it would deflect the shot enough to make the difference." Dan looked at the floor and nervously rubbed the back of his neck. His voice dropped to a whisper. "I guess I wasn't fast enough."

Maguire rested a hand on Williams' shoulder, drawing his attention. "Danny, this was not your fault. If you hadn't been there; if you hadn't done what you did, Jenny would be dead." Dan nodded his head slowly, accepting Ed's forgiving point of view. "What happened next?"

Danny swallowed hard before he continued. "I jumped on him, tried to get control of the gun. I was so worried about Jenny; I didn't even know if she was still alive or how badly she was hurt. But he outweighed me by quite a bit and it didn't take long for him to pin me on the floor." Williams took a deep breath. Reliving the terrifying moment when he was certain he was going to die was more difficult than he realized. "He was going to kill me, Ed," Dan continued. "I don't know how, but Jenny managed to get off a shot dead center to Jimmy's chest before he pulled the trigger." Dan took another calming breath and reined in his emotions. "She saved my life. After that, I did what I could to stop the bleeding and keep her warm while we waited out the storm. There wasn't anything I could do for Jimmy. The rest, you know."

Ed smiled poignantly, his heart full of pride for his injured officer. "She's a marksman, Danny. She always hits her target." Then Maguire shook his head in awe and admiration. "But making that shot when she'd been hit, now that took guts!" Maguire closed his note pad and tucked it back into his pocket. "Thanks, Danny, I know that wasn't easy. How about a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Dan replied gratefully.

But as Maguire rose to his feet, a weary surgeon entered the waiting area, his green scrubs tinged with blood and sweat, his face mask hanging from his neck. "Maguire?"


	14. Chapter 14

******Chapter 14**

Steve was getting impatient. Far more used to driving around the small island of Oahu, he couldn't believe how long it was taking to get to the hospital. Northern New York was rural, the small towns were spread far apart and the closest city wasn't very close at all. It was even slower going as Lars was driving on a slushy, slick road surface with the ever present danger of black ice.

Suddenly the car in front of them started to spin out of control. Skilled at dealing with such conditions, Lars pumped the brake and turned the wheel to avoid a collision. The rapid unexpected change in direction caused McGarrett to grab the dashboard and brace himself, which wrenched his already sore shoulder. He hissed at the pain.

"You okay, Steve?" Lars asked after he had pulled into the break down lane and stopped the cruiser.

"Sure. What happened?" the dark haired cop asked, squinting out the windshield at the other car while he cradled his left arm and tried to catch his breath.

"Probably hit a patch of black ice. I'm going to go check on them."

Steve watched Erickson exit the cruiser, cross the road and approach the car that had skidded to a stop in the highway median. Out of habit, he noted the license plate: Florida.

A few minutes later, Lars returned to the driver's seat of the blue and white.

"They're okay. Tourists; no snow tires."

Erikson certainly wasn't a man of many words. He cautiously pulled the car back onto the highway then noted that the car from Florida had done the same behind them. For the next several minutes, the two cops rode in silence.

"Lars, I'm sorry that O'Neal was hurt working on our case," Steve finally said, hoping that conversation would make the time seem to pass more quickly.

"Jenny's tough; she'll be fine," was the only response he got from Lars. But trained as he was at interpreting facial expressions, Steve was certain that he saw genuine concern in the usually unreadable Erickson.

o-o-o

"I'm Maguire," Ed told the young surgeon. _How old is this guy, twelve? _Ed wondered. "And this is Detective Williams;" he nodded toward the curly haired man with the bruised face.

"I'm Dr. Meyer," the surgeon introduced himself, shaking hands with Ed and then with Dan. "The surgery went as expected with no complications." The doctor removed his scrub cap revealing his thick wavy red hair. "We had to repair some muscle damage, but fortunately the bullet missed the bone. Miss O'Neal will need some physical therapy, but I expect her to make a full recovery." The surgeon watched the two men in front of him visibly relax.

"Can we see her?" Dan asked anxiously.

Dr. Meyer glanced at his watch before answering. "She'll be in recovery for another twenty minutes then we'll move her to a room. You can see her then." This was the good part of his job; he didn't always get to deliver good news in the waiting room, but he lived for the times that he could.

"Thank you, doctor," Ed said gratefully before the surgeon turned and left. Feeling one hundred percent better, Maguire turned to Dan and put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "How about we get that coffee now and a sandwich to go with it?"

"That would be great!" Dan replied sincerely. He hadn't eaten since breakfast and it was now past the dinner hour.

o-o-o

It was only hospital food, but the sandwich and coffee made a world of difference in Danny. He felt more alert and less shaky; he was relaxed and definitely relieved after hearing the surgeon's report. He was also looking forward to seeing Jenny again. With the previous cloud of worry removed from the equation, Dan and Ed enjoyed swapping stories of their police work and getting to know each other better while they ate.

"I'm glad that you're here, Danny," Ed said. Then after a lull in the conversation, he added "You're good company and it's made the waiting much easier."

Dan nodded, acknowledging the compliment. Before he could say anything, McGarrett and Erickson entered the waiting room at a brisk pace, both craving an update.

"Steve!" Dan rose and greeted his mentor as the big man approached him, looking tired but clearly glad to see him, Dan thought.

"Danno, how's the jaw?" McGarrett asked, tilting his head to study the side of the shorter man's face.

"Not broken," Dan replied firmly.

"Any news yet?" was the first anxious question from Lars, directed to Ed.

"Yes," Maguire responded, a big smile lighting his face and removing years from his appearance. "Jenny's going to be just fine. We'll get to see her soon."

As the four men hurriedly exchanged information, Dr. Meyer entered the waiting room unnoticed.

"Excuse me, gentlemen," the young surgeon interrupted the conversation. Once he had their attention, he continued. "Miss O'Neal has been moved to a room and you can see her now, but just one at a time. She's groggy and needs her rest, so only five minutes. Who's first?"

"I am," Maguire said without hesitation, knowing that the others would fully understand.

"Okay, follow me."

o-o-o

Jenny thought she heard a familiar voice, but it sounded far away and she couldn't quite climb out of the darkness. She concentrated on the voice. When she felt a gentle pressure on her hand, she slowly opened her eyes to see Ed looking down at her with a broad grin on his face.

"Officer O'Neal," Maguire addressed the woman with mock formality.

"Hi Ed," Jenny weakly answered with a smile of her own.

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired; better than before," the young woman replied, trying to keep her eyes open.

"The doc says you're going to be just fine," Ed assured her. "But you need your rest, so I'm not going to stay long. Danny told me what happened. That shot you managed to make…you did a fine job."

"Danny?" O'Neal asked, attempting to lift her head to scan the room.

"Relax, he's right outside." With a final squeeze of Jenny's hand, Maguire prepared to leave. "I'll stop by to see you tomorrow. Get some rest…" _…sweetheart. _

Ed hoped that he hadn't said that last word out loud by mistake. Over the years that he had worked with O'Neal, he had come to think of her as the daughter he never had. At a time like this, that fatherly feeling was particularly intense, and he had to swallow the unprofessional terms of endearment.

"Goodnight, Ed," Jenny whispered. "You get some rest, too."

Maguire left the room and walked back to the waiting area feeling that a weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He looked Williams in the eye, smiled and nodded in the direction of Jenny's room.

"She's asking for you, Danny."

o-o-o

Dan stepped into the small hospital room and approached the bed. Jenny was covered with a white cotton blanket, beneath which her bandaged right leg was elevated on three pillows. A bottle of clear fluid dripped into her IV line and her loose brown curls fanned out on the pillow framing her face. Williams offered a silent prayer of thanks that O'Neal was safe and would make a full recovery.

"Hi, Danny." Jenny lifted her hand from the bed and held it out to her visitor.

"Hi, you," Dan greeted as he took her hand in his, unable to keep the grin off his face.

"Sorry that we didn't get to have our lunch date," O'Neal said quietly.

"I'll take a rain check," Dan said, gently squeezing her hand. "It's the least I can do after you saved my life."

"You saved my life, too, Danny. I guess we're even." Then Jenny mustered up the courage to ask the question she had been dreading. "When do you have to go back?"

Dan saw the sadness in the woman's eyes, and he tried to swallow the lump that was forming in his own throat.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm afraid," he replied truthfully.

Jenny fought hard to push down her emotions and will the tears from forming in her soft grey eyes. She interlaced her fingers with Dan's and held tight.

"Then I guess this is goodbye. _Mahalo_ for everything, Danny."

Dan's eyes widened with surprise, and he broke into a large grin. "Now where did you learn that?"

"I heard Steve say it," Jenny replied matter-of-factly.

Dan was both amused and endeared by O'Neal's use of the Hawaiian word. He bent down, lightly kissed her cheek and whispered "Mahalo and aloha, Jenny. Feel better." At that, he eased the woman's hand back down to the blanket, gave it a final squeeze then let go and left the room.

Jenny settled back into the pillow and closed her eyes, savoring the moment and trying to commit every detail to her long term memory. When she opened her eyes again, she was looking into the worried face of Lars Erikson.

"Lars, will you do me a favor?" O'Neal asked.


	15. Chapter 15

_**A.N. - I've come to the end of this long tale and I'd like to thank all of you who have read it and those of you who have left such kind reviews. I'm glad that you've enjoyed it. Special thanks to "Tanith2011" for her help and encouragement throughout the writing of this story. Mahalo!**_

**Chapter 15**

It was late in the evening by the time Ed, Steve and Danny arrived at Maguire's home, and the three men were relaxing in Maguire's comfortable living room next to a crackling fire in the woodstove, each with a mug of coffee. The casual rustic room was lined with bookshelves and had mission style leather furnishings gathered around a large braided rug beside the fieldstone hearth. Outside the snow had started falling again, but only in light flurries.

"We sure appreciate your hospitality, Ed, putting us up like this given the lack of lodging available around here," Steve said as he stretched out his long legs in front of the overstuffed chair he occupied.

"Well, that's a small town for you," Maguire commented. "I'm grateful for the company, to tell the truth. With my boys away at college and my wife visiting her mother, it gets kind of lonely around here." Ed got up from his chair, took a bottle of whiskey off the bookshelf and poured some into his coffee, then held the bottle out to McGarrett. "Care for some Irish spirit? It'll warm you up and take the edge off that sore shoulder."

"No thanks," Steve replied politely. "I never use it."

Ed raised his eyebrows in surprise. "With a family name like 'McGarrett', I figured you to be a drinking man." Maguire then offered the bottle to Williams. "Danny?"

The curly haired detective seated in the upholstered rocking chair was awake, but was blankly staring off into a corner of the room and didn't respond. Ed caught Steve's eye and canted his head toward Williams, amused by the younger man's obvious day dreaming. Steve chuckled and shook his head.

"Danny, would you like a bit of spirit?" Ed offered a little louder, penetrating the detective's daze.

"Oh sure, Ed, thanks." Dan accepted the bottle and added a splash of whiskey to his coffee before passing it back to his host. He had no idea that his mind had drifted away.

"Looks like you could use some sleep, Danno," Steve observed, his protective tendency toward his protégé kicking in. "We'll be up early tomorrow."

"Yeah, I'm about ready to hit the sack," Dan replied, still somewhat distracted. He downed the rest of his coffee, said his goodnights then excused himself and headed toward the bedroom, dropping off his empty mug in the kitchen on the way.

Steve thought he noticed a hint of melancholy in his young second, but it had been a long and eventful day. _Maybe Danno's just tired._ _Makes sense, doesn't it?_

Ed also sensed Williams' rather subdued mood. Having spent several hours with the detective that afternoon and evening, he had a pretty good idea of what was bothering the young man. But that was too personal a topic for discussion, so the two men sat in silence, each with his own thoughts.

o-o-o

Steve was awake before the alarm clock buzzed. He showered and shaved then returned to the small bedroom to get dressed. Observing the motionless pile of covers on the bed next to his, the tall detective came to the conclusion that his roommate was still sleeping. He reached over and nudged Danny awake. The bleary eyed detective sat up in his bed, yawned and stretched. "Good morning, Steve."

"Ready to get back to paradise, Danno?" McGarrett asked while he folded his clothing and neatly packed his suitcase, tossing in his shaving kit on top.

"More than ready," Dan replied. There was a slight hesitation in Williams' voice, something that would probably go unnoticed by anyone else, but Steve's radar picked it up immediately. He suspected that it had something to do with Officer O'Neal, but chose not to ask questions. He respected Danny's privacy and trusted that his friend would confide in him later if and when he was ready.

"Your turn in the shower," Steve said as Dan gathered up his own shaving gear.

The hot shower felt great, but Dan's tender jaw made his morning shave difficult. Like Steve, he dressed in a business suit, dress shirt and tie for the return flight to Honolulu and packed his flannel shirts, thermals and jeans in the suitcase. They'd have to endure the New York cold a little while longer until they boarded their plane. First, they had to make one more stop at the police station: the requisite paperwork.

o-o-o

The sunlight sparkled off the newly fallen snow and the near zero temperature enhanced the dazzling effect. Maguire pulled his car into his parking space in front of the police station then he, McGarrett and Williams left the car and jogged to the main entrance, trying to minimize their exposure to the cold. Erikson and Fabrizio were already inside. Even though Tony had worked the evening shift, the small department was now down one officer and he needed to pick up the slack. The station was filled with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee, a warm welcome to the three cold cops.

"Good morning, Ed, Steve, Danny," Tony greeted the men while Lars poured three more mugs of coffee. "Doc called late yesterday. He finished the autopsy, but hasn't finalized the paperwork yet. Says that he'll mail you the official copies when they're ready."

Lars passed steaming mugs to grateful hands. "Speaking of Doc…" Erikson glanced down at the unused sling, still on the front desk where it had been since yesterday then glanced up at McGarrett. "Doc says that you really should use that, Steve."

He was caught. There was no emergency to rush off to and Steve saw an insistent glare in the eyes of his second-in-command. Reluctantly, he pulled the fabric menace over his head and then rested his left arm in the support. It did feel better, but the big man wasn't going to admit it.

"Did you finish typing up our reports?" Maguire inquired.

"Right here," Tony replied, retrieving two file folders, opening them and spreading out the duplicate copies on the desktop. "All ready for your signatures."

Ed and Steve took turns signing and dating the reports then returned the papers to the folders. Steve handed the folder labeled "Hawaii" to Dan who then stuffed it into his briefcase.

"Oh and Danny, I made an extra copy of the report on the convenience store robbery," Lars said, motioning for the detective to follow him. "I thought you'd want that, too, since it was a related incident."

_What luck! _Dan had wanted to talk to Lars privately and had been wondering how that was going to happen. When the pair had stepped into Erikson's small cubicle, Lars picked up the typed report from his desk and handed it to Williams. Dan spoke first, low enough so the others wouldn't overhear. "Lars, will you do me a favor?"

"Sure, Danny. What can I do for you?"

Dan pulled out his wallet, removed a business card and a ten dollar bill and pushed both into Lars' hand. "I'd like you to get Jenny some flowers from me and give her my card."

Lars nodded his head and Dan was relieved. His plan was accomplished and the sadness he felt at leaving Jenny so abruptly began to ease. He stuffed the robbery report into his briefcase and started to turn back to join the others.

"Wait, Danny," Lars said quietly as he opened the bottom drawer of his desk. He pulled out a small brown paper bag, folded and stapled closed at the top. Erikson handed the bag to Dan, eliciting a puzzled look from the shorter man. "This is from Jenny," Lars explained. "Put it in your briefcase and don't open it until you're on the plane." Danny was both surprised and touched, and he couldn't stop the grin that lit up his boyish face. He was also curious about the contents of the bag, but agreed that now was not the appropriate time or place.

"Please thank Jenny for me and tell her…well, just thanks, Lars," Dan said shaking the tall officer's hand.

"Don't mention it," Lars replied. "It's been a pleasure working with you, Danny."

o-o-o

Two weary Five-O cops settled in for the long flight home. Dan pulled the airline issued blanket higher over his body to cover his chest. Part of him still felt chilled from the frigid morning air penetrating his lightweight suit.

"You look like you need some time on a warm beach," Steve teased his travel companion.

Danny couldn't help but laugh at the thought. "Maybe that will help me thaw out." Then he noticed his boss wince, shift his arm in the offending sling and then release a long sigh. "Hey, looks like you could use some beach time yourself, Steve. At least until that shoulder heals."

"It will heal just as quickly in the office, Danno," Steve said in all seriousness.

Then realizing he still hadn't opened his gift, Dan fished his briefcase from under the seat in front of him, opened it and pulled out the small paper bag.

"What's that?" Steve asked, watching his second's every move.

"Something from Jenny," Danny replied, a little self-consciously.

"You mean Officer O'Neal?" Steve joked in a deadpan tone.

"Yeah," Danny said as he eased a small box out of the bag. A smile lit the young detective's face when he saw the contents of the box. It was a large piece of maple sugar candy in the shape of a heart. A white business card taped to the back of the box read:

**Officer Jennifer O'Neal**

**New York State Police**

**Route 9, Champlain, NY 12919**

**(518) 298-5200**

Dan held the card up for his boss to see.

"Long distance relationship?" Steve asked.

"Maybe," Dan answered, tucking the candy and card into the inside breast pocket of his jacket. Before long, he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of Jenny O'Neal wearing a bikini and watching him surf the North Shore.

**Pau**


End file.
